I'll See You Soon
by EternalDisasters
Summary: "I'll see you soon...thank you." Story follows Sakura and Sasuke's lives between chapters 699-700 and beyond. Spoilers. Canon.
1. Our Beginning

_"__I'll see you soon…Thank you."_

xxxx

**14 MONTHS LATER…**

It had been over a year since Sasuke was last in Konoha. Immediately after the war concluded, he was granted a pardon by The Village Hidden in the Leaves and began his journey of redemption.

Throughout the time he was away, Sasuke travelled through every major village, apologizing to the Kages and assisting the villages with reconstruction, training, and the sorts.

Although many were opposed to accepting Sasuke's apologies, his persistence, hard work, dedication, and good word from the war hero, Naruto, ultimately led to a majority of the Kages, ninjas and villagers to accept him.

In his journeys, Sasuke learned many things about the shinobi world, and himself, that he had overlooked because of his blind hatred. While in the past, he hated the shinobi world for the violence that it promoted, he never noticed how kind, strong-willed and, overall, wonderful humanity could be if it was given a chance. This could have been the post-war effect, but Sasuke was certain that it was something that was always there that he was unable to notice…Naruto noticed from the very begin, but of course, Naruto did not have a single bad bone in his body.

Sasuke not only learned things about the Shinobi world, but also about himself. During the past 14 months, he had a lot of time to himself to self-reflect about his feelings of restarting his life again. When he left Konoha, he never expected to comeback or to even have the opportunity to come back. He was driven by revenge and expect to either die at the hands of his own brother or to be executed for high treason, if he was ever captured. The idea of starting a new life seemed foreign to him. Where was he supposed to begin?

The question bothered him for a long time. He often pondered over the idea for days, without sleeping. Even with the pardon, was Konoha really capable of fully accepting and trusting him? His teammates seemed to have forgiven him…or had they really? People always say that the past is in the past, but is it really?

When Sasuke realized that, he came to a decision. He would starting working on the relationship he had with Team 7, and then make his way out to everyone else that he had wronged in the past.

Without Team 7's love and support, he would never be able to fully forgive himself, he thought.

Now, standing at the front gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, he was faced with his uncertain future.

xxx

"Welcome back Teme!" Naruto said as he placed his wrapped hand on his best friends shoulder. Although it had not been very long, Naruto had changed a lot. He was slightly taller and leaner. His face had lost all signs of boyhood and his hair was kept shorter than he had ever kept it.

Sasuke gave his friend a slight smile as he glanced around his surroundings. Something was missing, but he couldn't quite lay a finger on it…

"Looking for Sakura?" Sasuke looked at Naruto, slightly taken aback. That was what was missing. He had half expected for Sakura to meet him just outside of the Village's limits, but there was no sign of the pinkette there or at the entrance.

"She says she is sorry that she couldn't make it, but the hospital is extremely busy with this virus going around. Half of Konoha is bed ridden. Even "Hogake-sama" is sick." Naruto said the last part bitterly, which made Sasuke chuckle.

"Well, I'm sure to see her at some point today…" Sasuke said.

"You better believe it! Now…I'm pretty sure it's been years since we both grabbed ramen at Ichiraku's," Naruto grinned widely. Sasuke cringed in response. Everyone who knew Naruto well enough, knew that he could out eat anyone when it came to ramen and whoever took him to Ichiraku's would often have to pay for him.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I don't think I can afford your appetite after my trip," Sasuke joked, half serious.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I get Ichiraku's for free now that I'm this big shot war hero! They even renamed their miso ramen to Uzumaki ramen."

Naruto kept bantering as the two slowly made their ways towards Ichikaru's. I was as if nothing had ever happened.

xxx

It had been 3 days since Sasuke had returned to the village. While him, Naruto and Kakashi had been catching up, training, and eating their hearts content at Ichiraku's, a key element of Team 7 had been missing. Sakura.

In the past, Sasuke had never truly acknowledged Sakura as anyone but his teammate. When they were children, he found her extremely annoying and self-centered. Unlike Naruto, she was incapable of connecting with him at an emotional level, because they had nothing in common. While he disliked Naruto for empathizing with him and being positive, he disliked Sakura because of her incapability of understanding him and being positive. That and, because to him, she was just another annoying fan girl.

As time went by, he started to appreciate her a little more. Sure, she wasn't physically up to par with him and Naruto, but what she lacked for in brawn, she made up with her intelligence and chakra control. Not only that, but even with all the torment he put her through, Sakura still loved him and fought for him no matter what.

During their battle with Kaguya and after his battle with Naruto, she could have left him for dead and just saved Naruto, but she didn't. Through all the emotional pain, she still managed to love him and to forgive him.

That was the moment he started seeing Sakura in an even bigger light. Her positivity, love, and overall radiance began affecting him. Under her glowing hands, he felt the warmth of the mother that had long lost. He was finally able to feel and understand the love that Sakura had always professed to him.

All those months on the road, he finally decided that he would give her an answer.

xxx

"Ah! Finally! The last patient is recovered and I can finally take a break and go home!" Sakura exclaimed to no one in particular.

After Tsunade had stepped down from being Hokage, she appointed Sakura as the head of the hospital. Sakura gladly accepted the job, thinking that it would give her something to do. With the Shinobi Alliance, crime in the Fire Country had exceedingly decreased to the point where Jounins were begging Kakashi for D-ranked missions. At least in the hospital, Sakura could always count with people getting sick, so she would never be bored.

Sighing, Sakura closed the last file she was working on and began leaving her office. It was dusk and many of the villagers and shinobi were rushing home to be with their families for dinner. Sakura inwardly smiled and began the trek to her apartment, looking forward to a TV dinner and her bed.

Not paying attention, she bumped into something hard and stumbled back. "I'm so sor…Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of the ex-avenger. With the hospital being so busy, she had nearly forgotten that Sasuke had arrived several days prior.

"I'm back." Sasuke said smiling at the pinkette. She, like Naruto, had also changed. She was a lot curvier than he last saw her and she looked more feminine. Her eyes were brighter, her lips fuller, and her face was more angled. She was beautiful.

Sakura blushed and averted her eyes out of nervousness. She wasn't expecting to run into him like this. When she imagined her reunion with Sasuke, she expected Naruto and Kakashi to be there, not just the two of them. From the brief look she got of him, he had gotten a lot taller and more built. His left eye held the same Rinnegan that was gifted to him by Hagoromo.

His left arm was also still missing, which reminded her…

"Oh! Remember that artificial arm that Tsunade was working on? It's done. Want me to help you, um…attach it?" Sakura stated.

"That can wait. You just got out of the hospital, right? Let's grab dinner first, then we can talk about that arm."

Sasuke began walking toward the town center but noticed that Sakura was not following him.

"Dinner?"

Sasuke looked back at her, not moving from his spot, "I have something to tell you."

Sasuke brought them to a small, quite restaurant in the middle of the village center. The restaurant was practically deserted with the exception of the chef and his waitress daughter.

At the table, not much had been uttered between them besides comments about the menu.

While waiting for their food, the silence became painful and Sakura could not bear it any longer.

"So how…" Sakura began before getting interrupted by Sasuke.

"Thanks again…for everything." Sasuke said. Sakura's eyes widened and began to tear. The two times he had ever thanked her, he had left her. Did he bring her here to say goodbye? Had he decided that he no longer wanted to be affiliated with Konoha, Team Seven, and with her? A million questions rushed through her head and tears seeped down her cheeks.

Sasuke smiled and cupped her cheek with his only hand. With his thumb, he wiped away the tears that had made their way onto her face. "Baka…"

Sakura froze, unable to comprehend what was happening. Why was he calling her an idiot and why was he being so intimate?

"I'm not leaving." He reassured.

"Then why did you say thank you?"

"Because I needed to thank you. You've been so patient with me all these years and I have done nothing but make you suffer. So, thank you, Sakura Haruno, for supporting me for all these years even when I don't deserve it."

Sakura was unable to control her tears and began crying harder, not out of sadness but happiness. "You're the idiot here. Why wouldn't I support you? I love you!"

"I know."

"And I will always love you."

"I know... Sakura look at me."

Sakura turned her gaze into Sasuke's obsidian eyes, confused.

"I know you love me and while I can't tell you that I love you right now…lets see where this goes." Sasuke whispered, barely loud enough for Sakura to hear.

Her heart was racing and she was beginning to feel like she was suddenly in a dream where Sasuke was finally responding to her feelings.

"Are you…being serious?"

Sasuke chuckled, "Completely."

Sakura jumped from her seat and embraced Sasuke tightly. Her head rested on the nook between his neck and shoulder and she cried inconsolably.

With his right arm, Sasuke rubbed Sakura's back and comforted her until she stopped crying.

At that moment, in Sakura's embrace, he finally had found the peace within himself that he was been searching for all along.

_To be continued…?_

xxx

**Hey everyone! It's been a long time since I've written a fan fiction, but after reading today's last chapters, I couldn't help myself.**

**SasuSaku is finally canon and I needed to express my happiness through writing. **

**As of now, this is a one-shot, but if the response is good enough, I'll consider turning this into a multi-chapter. If that is the case, I wouldn't be able to start writing until after I finish the semester in December, so please be patient. **

**Please leave a review either commenting on the story or anything related to the manga chapters (699 + 700)**

**Until next time 3**


	2. Matters of the Heart

Chapter 2: Matters of the Heart

As a child, Sakura was always insecure about the way she looked. She was short, her forehead was too wide, and her hair was _pink_. The average person would never want someone like her as a partner, she thought. They would want someone more beautiful—someone like Ino.

It didn't help her already low self-esteem when the person she ended up falling in love with was the boy that every young girl had their sights—Sasuke Uchiha. Everyone, including Ino, were after his affections. How was she going to be able to compete?

She tried her best to gain Sasuke's attention, but she was too insecure. She grew out her hair because she believed it was the only way Sasuke would notice her. He did, after all, like girls with long hair. Plus, growing out her hair would, perhaps, make her forehead look smaller.

Sakura not only attempted to change her outward appearance but her mentality as well. She decided that, if she were unable to win over Sasuke's heart with her beauty, she would, instead, dedicate her time to studying. By the age of 10, she was already at the top of her class at the academy, within the same ranks as Sasuke.

When she was chosen to be part of Team 7 with him, she was ecstatic. She would finally have the chance to get to know Sasuke at a more personable level, even if it meant that she would have to deal with Naruto.

Although he was always aloof, being in a team, she was able to understand him better. She was able to break through Sasuke's façade and discovered that, behind the tough exterior, there was a boy who loved his family. He loved them so much, that his pain transmuted into pure hatred and his ability to love was obscured.

She began sympathizing with his pain, wishing that she could take on some of his burden. It pained her to see Sasuke suffer. She wished that, one-day, he would be able to smile again, even if she wasn't the one who would be able to bring that smile back.

What was once just a childhood crush developed into something more profound…and that was love. She had fallen in love with the dark avenger.

Just as soon as she realized this, Sasuke decided to leave the village. Unable to let him go without telling him her feelings, she waiting for him for hours by the benches leading to the village gates.

She pleaded and cried for him to stay in the village, but to no avail. He knocked her unconscious and left her with two last words.

"_Thank You."_

Even now, she never understood what he meant by those words.

xxx

"Thanks for the dinner. It was lovely," Sakura said as they walked out of the tiny restaurant. Sasuke only hned in response as he walked along side with her.

It was already passed 10 o'clock and a majority of the village had already called it a night. Besides them, the only people who were wandering the streets were drunkards and patrolling shinobi. Sasuke hadn't expected to keep Sakura out that late, but they ended up talking for a long time after they finished their dinner.

During dinner, Sakura shared some stories about what happened in the village during his absence. He shared some of his own as well, mostly of his travels.

Although Naruto and Kakashi had shared some of their own stories, he was still surprised by some of the things that Sakura decided tell him. Like, how Kiba started dating the cat loving, Tamaki and how Lee became the only member of the Konoha 11—and one of the few people in general—to see Kakashi without his mask. She detailed how her and Naruto nearly castrated the green beast, earning Sakura a slight chuckle from Sasuke.

While she told her stories, Sasuke couldn't help but feel left out. He missed so much during the time between his dark years and his road of redemption—time that he would never be able to get back…

Sakura yawned, pulling Sasuke away from his reverie. He glanced over at her fragile form and noticed the dark shadows that had formed around her eyes. She looked as if she hadn't slept in days; yet, she still managed to look beautiful. "I should probably walk you home now. You seem tired," he said, walking towards the last place he remembered Sakura living at.

"Wait! I live that way," she said, pointing at the opposite direction that Sasuke was headed towards. "Besides, I told you that your arm is ready. Lets stop at the hospital first."

"Another time. I think I want to stay this way for a little longer. I may be back, but I still have a lot of regret. This…" He lifted the stump of his arm underneath his large poncho, "will serve me as a reminder of my sins."

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura felt her tears well up, but she held them back. She didn't want him to see her cry for a second time that night, especially after the wonderful evening they had shared together. Instead, she opted to hug him.

Sasuke was slightly surprised, but returned the warm gesture. She was so much shorter than him, he realized. Her head lay perfectly on the crook of his neck. He could feel her even breaths brush along his skin, tickling him and it sending shivers down his spine. A good kind.

After a while, Sasuke pulled back and placed his right hand on her shoulder and looking into her eyes, he said, "Let's get you home."

xxx

The walk from the restaurant to Sakura's new apartment was fairly short. She lived on the third floor of a three-level apartment complex near the hospital. Sasuke accompanied Sakura up to her front door to make sure she arrived safe.

For a moment, Sakura fumbled with the lock before finally getting it open. She turned around and was met by Sasuke's broad chest and stumbled back. Sakura blushed a deep shade of pink. She felt nervous. "T-thanks for dinner and walking me home," her voice pitched towards the end, making her blush deeper.

"Thank you for not rejecting my invitation," he replied.

They awkwardly stood at Sakura's doorway, unable to find a good way to part from each other. Being shinobi, they never had the time to date and this was the first time, as far a they knew, that they had done anything remotely 'date-like' with someone.

Sakura was going to say goodnight before Sasuke leaned in, inches away from her face. Expecting him to kiss her, she slowly fluttered her eyes closed and slightly parted her lips, anticipating what was to come next. Yet, instead of feeling a pair of lips, she felt two fingers tap the center of her forehead, where her seal was located. She opened her eyes and was greeted by Sasuke's warm smile. "Have a goodnight. I'll see you soon?"

All Sakura was able to manage was a quick nod before Sasuke disappeared into the darkness of the night.

xxx

That night, Sakura could not sleep. As much as her body was begging her for rest, her mind kept wandering to the events that had taken place that night.

She hadn't expected Sasuke to be so warm towards her. Sure, he regarded her to a higher esteem than he did before the war, but nothing like she experienced that night. He was different. Calmer and happier—and she was glad. Yet, part of her mind kept telling her to not keep her hopes up. That he was going to leave her again the moment she got used to having him back.

She hated herself for not being able to trust him fully—she loved him. When you love someone, you should be able to trust them fully, right?

She would never tell him, but when she found out he was coming back to Konoha after his trip, she panicked. They had left in such great terms, that she was sure it was just a figment of her imagination, and we would come back as cold and aloof as he used to be.

Instead of waiting for his arrival at the gate with Naruto, she excused herself because of her work. She lied.

Shizune had already returned from her trip to Suna and could have easily taken over Sakura's hospital duties. In fact, Shizune had argued with Sakura, trying to force her to take a week off, but Sakura wouldn't have it. As long as she had her work to occupy her, she could avoid Sasuke until she was mentally prepared to see him.

As fate would have it, the day she decided she would go see him with Naruto when she had a chance, they casually bumped into each other in the village.

Out of all the scenarios that had played out in her mind during the months of his absence, she never expected him to be so approachable.

That night was, easily, the best night of her life. And perhaps, she thought to herself, things would work out this time.

xxx

Sasuke Uchiha was never a man to sleep in. He was always up at the crack of dawn to begin his day, but that morning, it was different. He was surprised to see streaks of light engulfing his room instead of the usual darkness of the early morning. He looked over to his side table and saw that his alarm clock read 11:07AM, meaning he had slept well over 10 hours.

The last time he remember sleeping that long was when they returned to Konoha after the war. He was so relieved to finally be home, that for the first time since his family's massacre, he slept in peace.

When he set off on his road to redemption, he fell back to his previous sleeping patterns. Sometimes, he was lucky enough to just get 3 hours of sleep.

His mind was always wandering to other places. He often spend hours imagining what he life would have been like had his family not been massacred or if he had never gone on his path of revenge. Would Itachi still be alive? Would the Akatsuki still be a threat? Would his bonds with the people her cared about be stronger?

There were so many questions, but unfortunately, Sasuke would never know the answers. He chose his path and now he had to fix the mistakes that he made. He had to focus on the present, he thought.

When he returned to Konoha, his bad sleeping habits continued. The subject matter, however, had changed. His mind was consumed with thoughts of a particular kunoichi with bubblegum pink hair and emerald green eyes.

Sasuke was anxious about his reunion with Sakura. Especially, since he was finally ready to accept her into his life, fully.

One day passed and he hadn't heard from her, which was surprising about Sakura.

The Sakura he knew was incapable of staying away from him for too long. After Naruto had told him about her hospital duties, he expected her to show up at some point that day, but she didn't.

A second day passed, and he continued to wait for her to make an appearance. But once again, was disappointed when she didn't.

On the third day, he could not stand it anymore. He was an impatient man and if Sakura was not going to seek him out then he would make his presence known to her.

He was on his way to the hospital that day, when he saw a blur of pink in the crowd. He followed her form for a short distance waited for the right moment to make his presence. When Sakura turned her attention to the small shops, he seized the opportunity and intercepted her when she was not paying attention.

Bodies collided.

Obsidian eyes met emerald.

At that moment, he finally felt like he was back home.

xxx

"So, where were you yesterday, teme?" Naruto asked after their sparring session. The duo were leaning against adjacent trees, sharpening their tools and putting them away.

"None of your business, dobe."

"You were with Sakura-chan, weren't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I saw you two walking around the village yesterday." Sasuke didn't reply and returned his attention to his sword, Kusanagi. "I don't know why you're being so secretive, unless there's something more…" Naruto insisted.

Sasuke continued to ignore Naruto, and continued polishing Kusunagi. "Hey! I'm talking to you! Don't ignore me!" Irritated, Naruto started throwing pebbles at Sasuke, demanding him to tell him what he and Sakura did that he was left out of.

"If I tell you, will just please shut up?"

"Dattebayo."

"I bumped into her last night and we went out to dinner. We talked, I dropped her off at her apartment and that's it."

Naruto's face turned from a dumbfounded look to a huge grin, "I knew it! Sasuke has a thing for Sakura-chan!" Naruto teased.

Many people saw Naruto as naïve, but when it came to matters of love and friendship, he considered himself the almighty sage of love.

"That's none of your business."

"You're not denying it though, aren't you _Sasuke-kun?"_

"I'm giving you two seconds to leave, before I chidori your ass."

Naruto raised his arms in surrender and began picking up his tools and putting them away. He stopped briefly and gave Sasuke a serious look.

"It goes without saying, but treat her well, okay? You weren't there to see her during your absence. She was a mess. And I'm sure that even though she knows that you will never go off the deep end again, in the back of her mind, she probably fears even the slight possibility of it happening again."

"But it won't."

"I know that, but you need to be able to reassure her. Next time you plan to take a trip, take her with you. Show her that she is worth bringing along and don't push her away."

Sasuke was surprised to hear Naruto speak so seriously to him. The blonde was normally facetious when talking about serious matters. The only times he'd seen him that serious was when he kept trying to get him to come back to the village.

Sasuke smirked, the blonde had some nerve to try and give him advice. "You should listen to your own advice too, you know?"

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, confused about what Sasuke was referring to.

"The Hyuuga girl."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Ever since the war ended, him and Hinata had been spending a lot of time together. He knew the Hyuuga heiress loved him, and if he was honest with himself, he also felt something towards her.

But, between his training to be Hokage and Hinata's position as the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, he had been reluctant to jump straight into the relationship. There were many things he wanted to solve before he could give his heart completely to Hinata. Once he resolved them, he would be able to fully accept Hinata into his heart and his life.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you two!" Naruto was surprised to see Sakura walk towards them, especially in her casual wear. He couldn't remember the last time Sakura had a day off. When she wasn't working at the hospital, she was training, on a mission, or vegetating in her apartment, away from the eyes of the public.

"Hey Sakura-chan!"

"Hey Naruto, Sasuke-kun. Have you guys had lunch yet? I was thinking we should go to Ichiraku's now that Sasuke-kun's back and I'm off from work." Although the invitation was for both of them, Sakura was speaking more directly towards Sasuke. The two of them held onto each other's gaze, ignoring Naruto's presence. Naruto couldn't help but feel like the third wheel in the situation and quickly stumbled over an idea to get out.

"Oh, man. I would, but, uh…Hinata needs help finding her…cat!"

"Naruto, I don't think Hinata has a cat…"

"Did I say cat? I meant, hat! Yeah, that's right. Well, I guess you two will have to go without me, bye!" Naruto sped off without another word, leaving Sakura and Sasuke to themselves.

Sasuke sighed, placing Kusanagi back into its sheath. He looked up at Sakura through his thick eyelashes and gave her a smirk. "Ichiraku's was it?"

Sakura blushed and averted her eyes. She hated the affect he had over her. Just one look from him and her entire guard would go down. She often prided herself for getting over her fan girl stage, but in moments like these she wondered if she ever did get over it.

"You'll still come?" Sakura's face lit up like a child and Sasuke couldn't help but smile.

"Hn."

xxx

**Needless to say, I've been ignoring my schoolwork. Thank you guys so much for all the reviews! I was so excited to read and reply to all of them!**

**Just a quick note. I'm not really a fan of these long authors notes, but if go over to my Tumblr page (link on my FF page), I'll be answering some questions and giving some fun facts about my thought process while writing the chapters.**

**Also, I'll be updating my writing progress on my FF page, with progress percentages, previews, and estimated release dates.**

**Please let me know your thoughts in a review and thanks again for taking the time to read!**


	3. We Need to Talk

Chapter 3: We Need to Talk

**3 months later…**

It would be an understatement to say that Sakura was happy. She was beyond happy—she was incandescently happy. She was a woman in love with the man she had loved for years and she was finally in a relationship with.

Well, perhaps relationship was not the right word to describe it. Sasuke and her had never defined their relationship. Whenever people asked Sakura what they were, she would just say that they were just dating.

Most young couples would be bothered with the idea of not having a clearly defined relationship, but it didn't bother Sakura in the least. As long as Sasuke was happy and she was happy, they didn't need a label to define them.

It didn't even bother her that Sasuke still hadn't returned her feelings and said those three little words…

_'__I love you…'_

Sakura shook her head. Once again she had caught herself daydreaming about the day that Sasuke would reciprocate her feelings. It wasn't an unreasonable thing for her to think about. Any woman in love would like to hear those words said back to them, but she wasn't going to force Sasuke. If he ever did fall in love with her, he would tell her. Until then, she would have to be patient.

Sakura sighed. "The time will come, Sakura. Until then, press on," she mumbled to her self. She continued cleaning her apartment, while humming a light-hearted tune. After a few days of non-stop work, she finally had a day off from the hospital. Sasuke had been away on a mission and wouldn't be back in the village for another couple of days.

It felt weird being off without having him around. Whenever she was off from work, she was always with Sasuke. Sometimes they were by themselves and other times with Naruto, Kakashi or Sai. Now that she was by herself, she didn't know what to do with her spare time.

Perhaps, she thought, she would go visit Ino at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. It had been a while since she had spoken to her former rival and maybe some girl talk would help clear her mind.

Determined, Sakura finished her household chores and headed towards the flower shop.

As she expected, Ino was working that day and it seemed like she wasn't the only one seeking companionship. Hinata was at the flower shop as well, chatting casually with Ino.

"Hey guys!" Sakura hollered as she approached the flower shop.

"Hello, Sakura." Hinata replied in her usual, timid voice.

Ino diverted her attention from Hinata to Sakura and placed a hand on her hip and scowled. "Forehead, long time no see. I see you finally remembered us little people outside out Sasuke-land, huh?"

"Well Pig, if you had a man in your life, you'd probably do the same. Too bad, I don't think there's a man in this world who'd be able to put up with you," Sakura retorted.

Hinata's sweat dropped. She'd known the pair long enough to know to not interrupt them during their bickering.

"I'll have you know that I have been seeing someone!"

"Are they masochistic?"

"Not as masochistic as Sasuke is."

"Pig."

"Forehead."

The two glared at each other, but being incapable of staying angry for long, their expressions softened and they hugged. "I missed you," Sakura said.

"I missed you too. I was just telling Hinata here how I was starting to think you had forgotten all about me. You finally take Sasuke off the market and then you stop visiting me. I had no choice but to start hanging out with Sai, thanks to you."

"What about Shikamaru and Chouji?" Sakura asked.

"Long story. Let's go to Tenji's Café and talk, okay?" Ino said. "Mama! I'm heading out for a little while. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Don't worry about me. You girls go on ahead," Mrs. Yamanaka said from the other side of the shop.

Removing her apron, Ino lead the way towards the small café that was located around the corner from the flower shop.

It had been a while since Sakura had been to Tenji's. Growing up, her parents used to take her there to buy anko dumplings every Friday after getting out of the academy. As she got older, the café became her and Ino's favorite spot in the village to hang out and gossip.

If Sakura remembered correctly, the last time she was at Tenji's was the day that Sasuke left for his trip. That day, she was upset about him leaving, but at the same time she was excited. He had left her with a promise to return. Whether he kept to his promise or not, it was the first time Sasuke had treated her so gently.

That day, Ino, Hinata, Tenten, and Sakura spent the entire afternoon and night talking about their future hopes and dreams. Ino spoke about her dream to expand the Yamanaka Flower Shop to other regions in the Land of Fire. Hinata spoke of her dream to breakaway from the Hyuuga clan and marry for love. Tenten dreamed of opening her own weaponry business and Sakura dreamed of becoming the best medic she could be. Sakura had many dreams though. If she had been honest that day, she would have told her friends that her dream was to make Sasuke happy and to save him from the demons of his past.

It seemed to Sakura to be so long ago, but it was only a little over a year since Sasuke left. Things had certainly changed in that short span of time. Ino was already in talks of opening a Yamanaka Flower Shop in the small village of Ube. Hinata had started openly dating Naruto, against her father's wishes. Tenten was in the process of opening her weaponry shop in Konoha. As for Sakura, she was already considered the top medic, surpassing her own teacher long ago. More than a year later, she wasn't sure if she was anywhere near accomplishing her real dream.

Was Sasuke happier? Were his demons still haunting him? A part of Sakura hoped that he was happier, but another part of her knew that it wasn't exactly the case. He still refused to accept his prosthetic arm and she knew he wouldn't accept it until he reached complete inner peace.

But, was she really capable of making him happy? Was he capable of falling in love with her? What future did the have together? Did they have a future? She had so many questions and she hoped that her talk with Ino and Hinata would help her solve at least some them.

Arriving at the café, the girls opted to sit on a small table outside. The weather was unseasonably beautiful, and it would have been a shame to eat indoors.

Upon sitting at the table, a waiter came around and took their orders. Ino ordered a skinny iced latte and a croissant, Hinata ordered a green tea and Sakura ordered anko dumplings and black coffee. The waiter swiftly wrote down their orders and excused himself.

"It is such a pleasant day," Hinata mused.

"Yes it is. I'm so glad I had today off. I would have sucked if I was cooped up in the hospital all day."

"Liar. You're such a workaholic, I bet you'd be fine," Ino retorted.

Sakura laughed, "Very true. So, Sai? What's up with that?"

"Where do I even start? Well, as you know, Shikamaru has been splitting his time between Konoha and Suna after being declared the official peace delegate between Land of Fire and Land of Wind. Plus, him and Temari are officially together now, so he spends more time over there than necessary. And to make matters worse… now, Chouji has been chosen as the delegate for Land of Lightning, so he's been in Kumo for the passed few weeks," Ino sighed. "I swear. I feel like Kakashi is purposely separating InoShikaCho. That bastard."

Sakura and Hinata both frowned, understanding how difficult it must be for Ino to be separated from her team. "I'm sorry Ino. If you want, I can beat the crap out of Kakashi for you. He may be Hokage, but he has a soft spot for his students."

Ino chuckled. "No, need. Anyways, if it weren't bad enough that Shikamaru and Chouji are gone half the time, you and Hinata have been too busy with your lives and I've just started feeling lonely, you know?"

"That is why you started hanging out with Sai?" Hinata asked.

Ino nodded, "Just like me, he was starting to feel neglected too. Kakashi is too busy running the country, Naruto is too busy training or hanging out with you, Hinata," Hinata blushed at the comment, "and Sai doesn't really like Sasuke. Since we were both lonely, I guess we kinda gravitated towards each other."

"So, are you two _together_?" Sakura wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I guess you can say that? He's still confused over the concept of relationships, but he's getting there."

The waiter arrived with the girls' orders and placed their food and drinks on the small table. Wasting no time, Sakura and Ino dug into their food while Hinata gracefully poured her tea.

"So, Hinata, how are you and Naruto doing?" Sakura asked. She knew that Naruto was on edge to ask her out, so when she found out they were dating, she was relieved. Naruto and Hinata both deserved to be with each other.

"We're doing well. I think father is finally coming around. After all, Naruto-kun did save us all. I think his reluctance towards Naruto-kun was more about him letting his little girl go than about me being the future heiress."

"I'm glad that you Naruto are happy. I've been secretly cheering you guys on since we were genin." Sakura forced a smile, not because she wasn't happy. Out of everyone, besides Naruto and Hinata, she was the happiest to see them together. Sakura was just jealous. Hinata was so confident in her position, even when there were so many opposing factors against her relationship.

Out of all the members of Konoha 11, Sakura felt like Hinata was the one who had changed the most. Hinata was no longer the shy, little girl that stuttered after every word. Now, she was a strong, confident young woman who fought for what she loved. Sakura couldn't help but admire and be jealous of that aspect about her. Around everyone, but Sasuke, Sakura was bold and a force to be reckoned with. Then, when came to Sasuke, Sakura felt weak and insecure.

"Have you guys done it yet?" Ino stately bluntly, taking a sip from her latte. Sakura choked on her coffee and Hinata blushed a deep shade of red. Some things never changed.

"That's highly inappropriate!" Hinata counteracted.

"Don't be such a prude. We know that, behind that good girl exterior, there's a freak in the bed." Hinata decided not to respond, knowing that Ino was only trying to get a reaction out of her.

"Boring," Ino fake yawned and turned her attention to Sakura. "How about you Sakura, have you and Sasuke finally defined your relationship?"

"That's what I was meaning to talk to you about. I need to ask you girls some advice."

"Oh? Are you guys finally doing the deed?"

"Jeez Pig, nothing like that! Its just…we've been dating for a while now and as happy as I am right now, things haven't been…progressing? I don't know. I feel ungrateful for complaining, but I just wish that Sasuke would give me a hint towards his feelings," Sakura explained.

"I'm sure Sasuke will come around Sakura. He probably just needs time," Hinata empathized. Her one-sided love with Naruto just started being reciprocated. She understood what Sakura was going through and how she was feeling.

"Yeah, what Hinata said. I mean, you guys have at least kissed, right?" Ino asked.

Sakura blushed, "Actually, we haven't. Is that a bad thing?"

Ino slapped both her hands on the table and stood up, flabbergasted. "You two have been dating for 3 months and you haven't kissed?"

Some of the passerby's stopped and turned their attention to Ino. Sakura buried her face in her hands in embarrassment. Ino couldn't keep her mouth shut for even a second.

Calming down, Ino sat back down at the table, "Damn, Sakura. Even Sai, who has the emotional capacity of a rock, has kissed me."

In a strange way, Ino had a point, Sakura thought. There were plenty of opportunities for Sasuke to kiss her and to be affectionate, away from the public eye. Yet, he never seized the opportunity. The only affectionate thing that Sakura ever recalled Sasuke doing was his signature forehead tap and the occasional hug.

"What should I do then?" Sakura asked.

Ino pondered over the idea momentarily. "He's on a mission, right? If I were you, when he gets back, I'd lock him in a room and force myself on him. Cause at the rate he's going, you'll be lucky to get to first base by the time you turn 40."

Hinata flashed Ino a warning look before turning her attention to the sad-looking Sakura. "I think you should talk to him and let him know how you are feeling. He won't know until you tell him." Hinata said.

"But what will happen after I tell him?"

"That depends on him. You still have to let him know."

"Agreed," Ino said. "Besides, you should be grateful he even paid attention to you. To be honest, I thought Sasuke was too good looking to be straight. And you know... there's always a chance he just might not be that into you."

'_Not that into me...' _

The idea wasn't new to her. She often pondered over it when she was with Sasuke. _'What if he's not into me? What if he never loves me back? What if he breaks it off with me?'_ Her happy façade was wavering and she couldn't bear breaking down in front of anyone—even her closest friends.

Sakura abruptly got up from her chair and placed 200 ryo on the table. "I have to go. I'll see you guys later," Sakura excused herself and quickly left the café, leaving Ino and Hinata behind.

"Ino…that was harsh," Hinata said.

"I'm just giving her the push she needs to confront Sasuke. She'll thank me later," Ino responded.

"And if it doesn't work out?" Hinata questioned.

"Then they just weren't meant to be."

xxx

For the next couple of days, Sakura refused to leave her apartment, except for work related tasks. Thankfully, work at the hospital had slowed down and, for the most part, any work she had, she was able complete at home.

It was a Friday morning and Sakura was expecting Sasuke to be back in the village at any moments notice.

A part of her was excited to have him back, for she had missed him dearly. But, another part of her was dreading his arrival. It was like she was, emotionally, back at square one. Her old anxieties and worries about her relationship with Sasuke returned and she found herself restless at night thinking about it.

There was a knock at the door and Sakura got up from her desk to answer it. She was half expecting it to be Sasuke, but to her relief it was a genin.

"Ms. Haruno? I have a message for you." The young boy, Ren, if she remembered correctly, handed Sakura a small envelop.

"Thank you, Ren." Sakura pulled a few ryo from her pocket and gave it to the boy before closing the door.

Sakura sat down on her couch and stared at the small envelope. It was pretty plain to be a message from the Hokage and far too small to be an official hospital document. Turning the envelope around, she saw her name printed in an elegant cursive. She recognized the handwriting and realized it was a message from Sasuke.

Impatiently, Sakura ripped the envelope open and pulled out a small note card that read:

_We need to talk. Meet me at the benches by the gates at 3pm._

_-Sasuke_

Sakura had once read in a magazine that the words, "We need to talk," were flaring signals of a relationship coming to an end. Considering the lack of affection that Sasuke gave and the blandness of the message, Sakura felt like his intentions were clear.

He wanted to break up with her.

xxx

It was 2:55pm. Sakura knew that Sasuke was a punctual person and would be there at 3pm on the dot, even if it killed him.

She sat on one of the benches along the stone pathway, purposely avoiding the bench that Sasuke had left her unconscious on all those years ago.

Sakura couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh. How ironic was it that he chose to meet her in the same spot that she had first confessed her feelings towards him.

'_I love you more than anything! If you are by my side, I will make sure that you won't regret it. I will make everyday more enjoyable, and you will be happy! There's nothing I wouldn't do for you!'_

It was so ironic, it was poetic.

The sound of footsteps approaching caught Sakura's attention. Instead of coming from the gates, Sasuke was approaching Sakura from the direction of the village. He was dressed in his casual attire, which meant that he had been in the village for at least a day and he never told her.

Cutting to the chase, Sasuke said, "Lets take a walk."

Sakura nodded. Without a word, she got up from the bench and walked along side him towards the village gates.

"When did you get back?" Sakura asked.

"Yesterday afternoon," He bluntly replied.

"I see…" She didn't want to pry too much, so she left it at that.

After a couple of minutes of silence, they reached the village gates. Unless Sasuke was planning to take her out of the village, they had reached a dead end. Turning on his heels, Sasuke faced Sakura who was standing a couple of feet away from him. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you," he began. He ran his hand through his long, dark locks and exhaled, "I don't know where to start. I guess I'll just go ahead and say it. I…"

"Don't! Just stop. I don't want to hear it."

"Sakura I…" Sasuke tried to reach towards her, but she stepped out of his way. Her fists were clenched and she was staring at the ground, her hair covering her face.

"I said don't. Please spare me. I know what you're going to say and I get it. Just, don't say those words."

"What are you talking about?"

Sakura lifted her head. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "I'm sorry I was naïve and for telling you things that probably made you feel uncomfortable. I just thought…" As hard as Sakura tried to hold back her tears, she couldn't anymore. "I thought things were going so well between us and I guess I got too c-comfortable in our situation—whatever our situation is. B-but, I promise I'll stop. I'll stop acting like your girlfriend and if you want to see someone else…I understand."

"You are so annoying, you know that?" Sasuke closed the distance that Sakura had placed between them in a couple of strides. Before she could run away from him again, Sasuke embraced her in a tight hug. "I'm not breaking up with you, idiot," he whispered into her ear.

"But…"

"Shh… its my turn to speak." He pulled away from her slightly and placed his hand on her cheek. More tears escaped Sakura's emerald eyes, which Sasuke swiftly wiped away with his calloused thumb. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uneasy, but trust me when I say this…I'm not breaking up with you. I am yours as you are mine." Sasuke placed a chaste kiss on Sakura's forehead and another on her nose. His eyes bore into Sakura's dazed ones and he slowly leaned in.

Sasuke moved his hand from Sakura's cheek to the back of her neck. Gently, he grazed his lips against Sakura's, as if asking her for permission to kiss her. In response, Sakura wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck and closed the distance between them.

Sakura had tried to imagine kissing Sasuke many times, but her imagination was nothing compared to the actual thing. She has imagined Sasuke to be more harsh and passionate. Not shy and gentle. She was surprised, but not at all discouraged. She was glad that Sasuke felt comfortable enough with her to show her his tender side.

Sasuke pulled back, but made no effort to move away from her. Instead, he opted to gaze into her dazed eyes. He was temped to kiss her again, but he sensed a couple of chakra signatures approaching the gates.

"C'mon, let go," he said. He grabbed her hand and began heading back into the village.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

He led her towards the east side of the village where the river was located. They walked along side the riverbank for a couple of miles before reaching a small meadow. The land looked mostly uninhabited, which made sense, because Sakura had never known about such a beautiful place existing in her own village.

"Wow, Sasuke-kun….this is beautiful. How come I've never seen this before?" she breathed out.

"Of all people, I thought you would have noticed," Sasuke teased.

Sakura pouted and crossed her arms across her chest, "Sorry I was too busy admiring the beautiful scenery to notice the genjutsu..."

Sasuke chuckled and reached out to grab Sakura's right hand. He laced his fingers around hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Sakura."

Like a moth to a flame, Sakura looked up at Sasuke. He looked so different from the man that he used to be—the man that was hell bent on revenge. Now, he was more expressive; his eyes showed such deep emotion, that Sakura felt like she was seeing something forbidden.

"I love you," Sakura confessed, just like she had done so many times before.

Sasuke smirked and pulled her into an embrace, once more. He rested his head on the crook of her neck and whispered, "I love you too, Sakura."

The words caught her by surprise and guilt overcame her. "I'm sorry!" Sakura cried, holding on to Sasuke. "I'm sorry. I've been such a fool."

Sasuke rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. He hated seeing Sakura cry, especially over him. "Shh…it's alright. It's my fault. I haven't treated you the way I should have. To be honest, I was scared of admitting to myself that I loved you."

"You were?" Sakura sobbed.

"Of course I was, Sakura. All the people I ever loved were taken away from me. I was scared that if I admitted that I loved you, you'd be taken away from me too," he explained. "I'm not proud of the way I approached it. I made you worry and feel insecure. Worst of all, I made you cry. If anyone is to feel sorry, its me."

"I promise I won't cry anymore, unless I'm crying of happiness." Sakura nuzzled Sasuke, feeling tired from all the crying she had done that day.

"And I promise I won't make you cry, unless I'm making you happy."

xxx

The day passed in a blur of colors. Sakura and Sasuke spent the rest of the afternoon lying down on the meadow kissing, cuddling, and talking.

The sun was setting, a sign that the day was soon coming to an end. Sakura and Sasuke remained in the meadow, watching the mess of orange, pinks and reds paint the sky. She was sitting down, while Sasuke rested his head on her lap. She played with the locks of his soft, ebony hair. It was getting noticeably longer, but Sakura liked it. It made him look more mature—sexier.

"So, why did you bring me all the way to the gates in the first place? It wasn't to tell me…you know."

Sasuke turned his attention to Sakura, who was looking down at him, her pink locks almost brushing his skin. With his sole hand, he tucked a strand behind her ear. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Is it something bad?"

"Not really," he started, "I've been granted permission by Kakashi to go on another trip."

"Oh…" Sakura's eyes saddened. She knew that, at some point, Sasuke was going to leave the village for another extended trip. She just hadn't expected it to be so soon. He had, after all, only been in the village for a little over 3 months—enough time for her to become attached.

Even if her feelings were telling her otherwise, Sakura wasn't going to stop him from doing what he needed to do. She understood that he needed those trips and now that she was clear on their relationship, she would rest easier.

"That's great Sasuke-kun. When will you be leaving?"

"About a week," Sasuke stated.

"Good. We still have some time before you leave.

"I also asked him if he'd be willing to spare you for a couple of weeks."

"Huh?" Sakura was confused by his meaning, why would he ask Kakashi to give her days off? Unless…

Sasuke sat up and held her hand. Staring at her eyes, he asked, "Would you like to come with me this time, on my travels?"

Sakura's eyes brightened. "Are you sure?"

"More than sure."

Sakura jumped on Sasuke lap and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Then, I guess I better start packing."

**xxx**

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**Until next time!**


	4. Journey

Chapter 4: Journey

The scene was very familiar to Sakura. Every time that someone from Team 7 left on a long mission, everyone would try to gather at the gate to wish the person a safe trip. Ever since taking over the hospital, Sakura had not had the chance to take on extended missions; so often, she would be the one saying goodbye to her teammates and never the other way around.

This time was completely different. Not only was she leaving the village, but she was also accompanying Sasuke. The trip was a two-week journey to—well, Sasuke never specified where.

The one time Sakura had asked Sasuke where they were going, he told her that she would need a cloak and warm attire. A cloak would mean that it would be raining or sandy. Warm attire meant it would be cold. Narrowing down all the possibilities, Sakura concluded that they were going to be somewhere near Ame. Though, with Sasuke, she could never be completely certain.

The weeks leading up to the trip were filled with anxiety and excitement. Even though she spent a lot of one on one time with Sasuke, especially after becoming an official couple, she was looking forward to being away from Konoha and being a couple amongst strangers.

On the other hand, her anxieties were rooted in something else entirely. As far as she was aware, the trip was going to be a follow up on the first trip Sasuke took. During their time together, Sasuke told had her about his struggle of trying to convince villages of his sincerity. They would often bad mouth him, slam doors at his face, or escort him out of the village entirely. She hoped that being there for him would help ease his own worries and perhaps help ease the tensions between the village leaders and Sasuke.

"We should leave now," Sasuke said, noticing that it was almost high noon. Sai, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were standing behind the village gates. They were waiting for Kakashi to come and say goodbye, but as usual he was late. Now that he was Hokage, he abused the fact that he was a busy man and often excused his tardiness due to "Hokage duties." Sakura was well aware that Shikamaru and Shizune did most of his political work. He was only there as a face of leadership and for signatures.

Well, at least that was better than a drunk Lady Tsunade.

"Should have known better than to wait for Kakashi. If this were an actual mission, he wouldn't be as late," Sakura said, grabbing her supply back and placing it on her back. "Well, we'll see you both in a couple of weeks. Tell Kakashi he'll be hearing an earful from me when we get back."

"We will, Ugly," Sai said with a smile. At this point in Sakura's life, she could care less what he called her. She knew he didn't actual think she was ugly…it was more of a weird term of endearment.

While she didn't care about the pet name, Sasuke hated it. Sasuke glared at Sai before turning to Sakura and said, "Let's go."

"Ready when you are," she replied.

"Why can't I go with you guys? We haven't gone on a mission together in ages," Naruto whined, crossing his arms across his chest like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"It's not a mission, dobe," Sasuke responded while placing his own supply bag on his back.

"Yeah, but you guys are going to be away for so long, what am I going to do with my life?"

"We're only going to be gone for two weeks Naruto…" Sakura exasperated.

"A lot can happen in two weeks! I could become Hokage in two weeks and you would miss my inauguration. Or Kakashi might stop wearing his mask for a day or you and Sasuke might get hitched and completely leave me out of the wedding or…"

"Naruto…" Sakura and Sasuke said in unison.

"Or the hospital could fall apart without you there or…"

Naruto's rant was cut short by Sakura's fist impacting him square in the jaw. He went flying towards a tree, before landing face first on the ground.

Sakura irritatedly, cracked her knuckles. "How about you grow up while Sasuke-kun and I are away? Geez, I have no clue how Hinata handles you."

"I think you broke my jaw," Naruto cried.

"Good and I'm not fixing it."

"Now, now children," Kakashi said from a tree branch. He jumped off and walked towards the group of young shinobi.

"You're late!" Sakura shouted, ready to take on her next victim.

Kakashi raised his hands in defeat, "I had my duties as Hokage to attend to first. Now, Sakura, try to keep your superhuman strength for the battlefield. Naruto, when Sasuke and Sakura come back, I'll arrange for you all to go on a mission together. And Sasuke, I think this might be helpful during your trip." Kakashi slipped a copy of _Icha Icha Paradise _into Sasuke's hand. It took Sasuke a moment to process what Kakashi had given him, and when it registered, he slammed the book violently on the ground.

"You're lucky you're the Hokage, or else, that book would have been indented on your face."

"Now, now Sasuke. Remember who saved you from execution."

"Tch."

"Ugh, I'm getting a headache. Are we going to go?" Sakura complained.

"Yeah, let's go. It's getting late, and I want to get to our destination before it gets dark."

The young couple walked through the open gates, side by side. Sakura took a moment and turned around to wave goodbye at her friends—her family. As much as they irritated her, she loved her team and she would miss having them around—but just a little bit.

Once they were out of view of the village, Sakura laced her arm around Sasuke's, and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. "You still haven't told me where we are going."

"You'll see when we do."

"Is a walking pace advisable?" she inquired, noticing that Sasuke had made no effort to increase his speed.

"Its not that far. We can pick up the pace when we are closer to the border. For now, lets just enjoy the walk. Especially after that scene."

Sakura chuckled, "Never pegged you as the romantic type, Sasuke-kun."

"I'm full of suprises."

xxx

They had walked and talked for about 3 hours before Sasuke decided it'd be best to increase their speed. They ran at half their normal speed through the thick canopies of the Land of Fire for about an hour before Sakura's curiosity peaked again.

"How far are we?" She asked.

"A couple of miles. We'll be there soon."

Ahead, Sakura could see a clearing approaching. By the direction they had been heading towards, they were close to Amegakure and Sunagakure, but still on the outskirts of the Land of Fire.

In less than 10 minutes, they reached the clearing and to Sakura's surprise, their destination was not Ame. In fact, their destination was not a village at all. From what Sakura could gather, someone lived in this clearing. There was a lot of ruble and debris from what was once a rather large infrastructure.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked, taking in her surroundings.

"This was one of the Uchiha Hideouts…or at least what is left of it. This is where I fought my brother."

"Itachi?"

"Yes."

"Naruto told me a bit about him. I think I saw him, during the war, when he was reanimated. He seemed like a kind man and not at all like the stories made him out to be."

"That's because he wasn't how the others portrayed him to be. He was a hero."

"A hero?" Sakura questioned. She had heard many things about Itachi Uchiha, but the word hero was never one used to describe him. He was considered an evil man, who brought on pain and suffering to anyone who was unlucky to cross paths with him.

"Come," Sasuke said, leading her through the debris ridden clearing. Sasuke stopped and kneeled down in front of a sword that had been sheathed into the ground. The sword, from what Sakura observed, had a piece of tattered black and red cloth tied to it. The red, was in the shape of a cloud—it was the Akatsuki symbol.

"Brother. It's been a while since I've last visited you and I know it's no excuse. Since the last time, I have travelled the world and have tried to amend my sins. While some villages were more accepting, I still have a long way to go. Even if it takes me my entire life, I will make things right. Also, since the last time I visited, I have fallen in love." Sasuke reached out his hand towards Sakura and invited her to join him at his side. "Sakura, this is Itachi. Itachi, this is Sakura, my team mate and my girlfriend."

"Pleased to meet you Itachi-san" Sakura bowed formally, understanding that the spot marked with the sword was Itachi's final resting place.

"Just like Naruto, she never stopped believing in me. I can trust her with my life and that's why I brought her here." Sasuke turned to Sakura and gave her a solemn look. "Sakura, I have something to tell you and I figured here would probably be best."

Sakura placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, encouraging him to continue. "You can tell me anything."

Sasuke nodded and took a deep breath before he began, "There's a reason why I went off the deep-end. A reason for me wanting to take revenge on Konoha, my home, and a reason why I wanted to hurt you. I know I've apologized many times for that, but every time I do, I feel like I'm being dishonest.

"After I killed my brother, I was in a very bad shape—physically and mentally. My life felt empty and meaningless. Revenge had fulfilled nothing, just as you, Naruto and Kakashi had told me it would. I realized at that moment, there was no way I would be able to go back to Konoha and face all of you. I didn't deserve it.

"In my abyss, I even contemplated suicide. What was the point of living without a goal and not being able to go back home? But, before I could do anything to hurt myself, Obito—then Tobi—found me."

"He told me some pretty unbelievable things. At first, I thought he was crazy, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense."

"What did he tell you?"

"The truth. Itachi wasn't the murderer that Konoha made him out to be. He was a hero."

"How so?"

"Many years ago, Konoha got word that the Uchiha clan was planning a coup de eta against the government. My brother was aware of this and knew that if something were not done, Konoha would suffer tremendously. Being the loyal and honorable shinobi that he was, he sided with the Leaf village and worked as a double agent. When the council and the Third Hokage ordered him to annihilate our clan, he did so with one condition—for me to be spared.

"In a fit of rage, I found a new purpose in life—to destroy Konoha and everyone who had wronged my brother. Still, even with this newfound hatred for Konoha, my subconscious was telling me otherwise. It was telling me to go back home to you, Naruto and Kakashi, but the hatred overwhelmed it.

"Then, I saw you, after I finished Danzo off. There was something about your aura that felt wrong. When you told me that you were willing to give up what you had built in Konoha for me, I was skeptical. 'How could you still love me?' I thought. So I tested you. I told you to kill Karin because I knew that, as a medic nin, you wouldn't be able to kill someone vulnerable and unarmed. What I didn't know then was your intention to kill me. Once I realized that, the little bit of hope that I had left inside of me of returning home vanished. All that was left of me was my darkness.

"I know I've apologized before and that you have forgiven me. Yet, every time I apologized, it never felt right. I felt like I was deceiving you by withholding this information and even though it doesn't excuse me for what I did, at least you now know the reason for why I did all those things to you, to Naruto, and to Kakashi.

"You were the only light in my world of darkness. I unconsciously thought that if you still believed in me, everything was going to be okay." Sasuke clenched his fist and held back the few tears that were threatening to escape his eyes. He wasn't one to cry, but he felt overwhelmed by the guilt that he had been carrying all those years.

With both of her hands, Sakura grabbed Sasuke's fist and pulled it up to her lips. She placed a chaste kiss on his middle knuckle and looked straight into his obsidian eyes. "I never gave up on you, not even for a second. My actions back then were out of self-pity. I didn't want to feel anymore. I didn't want to cry every night hoping that you'd come back home. I thought that, if I killed you, I'd spare myself the feelings. I was wrong. Even with a kunai to your back, I couldn't bring myself to hurt you in any way.

"I love you Sasuke and I would go through hell and back for you. Nothing will change that." Sakura stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck and kissed him.

He welcomed the kiss, his need for love and affection taking over his body. What had started out as a sweet, tender kiss turned into a heated battle of control that Sasuke was winning. Sakura's head was spinning—Sasuke had never been so demanding. He was normally very gentle. Although, she didn't mind the change of pace, she knew he was reacting that way because he was still affected by the death of his brother and he needed to feel her love for him through contact.

Abruptly, Sasuke stopped kissing Sakura. Something had caught his attention. Activating his Sharingan, he broke away from the kiss and stood in a battle stance.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, half- dazed from the heated kiss that they had exchanged.

"We're not alone."

Understanding, Sakura took her position, her back faced Sasuke's to cover more ground. With his Sharingan, Sasuke scanned the area for any chakra signatures. He noticed that there was one faint signature hiding in the brush of the forest a couple of yards away from them.

The sound of the wind breaking caught Sasuke's attention. Three kunai were making their way towards Sakura.

"Sakura! Watch out!" Sasuke grabbed Sakura roughly by the arm and pulled her towards his chest. The three kunai lodged in the ground where Sakura had been standing previously.

"Shit. I didn't even hear them coming."

"I barely heard them either. Its okay."

"We've got company," Sakura said, preparing a couple of kunai of her own. Two figures appeared in front of them. One Sasuke didn't recognize, the other was someone very familiar to him.

"Karin."

"Well, if it isn't Sasuke-kun and his eyesore of a teammate…Sakura was it?" Karin said, flipping her long red hair and placing her hands on her hips.

Suddenly, the ground below Sakura and Sasuke began to vibrate. Two clay arms shot from the ground, capturing Sakura and Sasuke in a tight, inescapable grip.

"What the hell Karin? What do you want?" Sasuke cursed, trying to escape from his bindings, but finding no success.

"What have I always wanted, Sasuke-kun? You! It has always been you! After the war—heck even before that. But, you abandoned us; me, Suigetsu, and Jugo. Without you or Oto, we had nowhere to go. Then, they left me and I was on my own. All these years, I've kept track of you. When I got word from one of my intels that you were dating the pink bitch, I thought they were lying. I mean, you did try to kill her, right? So, I decided to do a little snooping of my own. I waited and waited outside of Konoha, waiting to see some sign of you or the little pink bitch. Finally, I saw both of you; leaving the village together, arm in arm. How revolting. "

"Karin, I am giving you ten seconds to let us go. If you don't, you know your fate."

Karin burst out in a maniacal laugh, "Too bad I don't care about my fate anymore Sasuke-kun. Yani, make the pink bitch squeal."

The clay fist surrounding Sakura's body slowly began squeezing her small, fragile form. Sakura bit her lips, holding back a cry. If she was going to die, she would not give Karin the satisfaction of hearing her suffer.

"Sakura!"

"I'm fine Sasuke-kun," she said, though pain was clearly evident on her face. Sakura gave Sasuke a small, reassuring smile. "She thinks she's so smart, but she has no clue on who she decided to pick on today."

Gathering her chakra to her index finger, Sakura wriggled her finger as hard as she could. At first, nothing seemed to have happened, but suddenly, a crack made its way down the clay arm. Just as quickly as the arm had appeared, it disintegrated.

Wasting no time, Sakura charged towards the other clay arm and, with a chakra infused fist, punched it. The fist disintegrated, freeing Sasuke from its grip.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, concerned.

Sakura smiled. "Never better. Now, lets finish business."

Sakura cracked her knuckles and began walking towards Karin and Yani, a grin plastered on her face.

"Shinobi 101. Never underestimate your opponent." Sakura punched the ground and the ground below began shifting and breaking apart. She knew the attack would not do much, but she wanted to intimidate Karin before engaging her into battle.

"Yani!" Karin yelled at her partner, "Attack her!"

The built clay man, presumably one of Orochimaru's experiments, began charging towards Sakura and Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, you deal with him. I have a bone to pick with this one."

Sasuke grinned before disappearing and engaging Yani into battle.

"Now, to deal with you."

Karin slowly backed away from Sakura, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She knew what Sakura was capable of. She saw her fight and heal during the 4th Shinobi war and she was well aware that she helped seal Kaguya. She was a war hero—a legendary Sanin.

Karin hoped that with the element of surprise, she would be able to kill Sakura. For a moment everything seemed to be going according to plan. Both Sasuke and Sakura had been caught off guard and she was able to capture them. Everything would have worked out perfectly if Karin hadn't miscalculated one major detail—Sakura's superhuman strength. As long as Sakura had the ability to gather her chakra into one point, any slight movement on her part would have caused the already fragile clay arm to break.

Without paying attention, Karin trip on a large rock sending her backwards on the ground. With nowhere to go, she looked up at Sakura's slender, yet menacing, figure. She was hovering over her like a vulture ready to devour its prey. Sakura crouched down at Karin's eye level and said, "You're lucky I am a medic nin. I will not kill you." Sakura grabbed Karin by the collar of her cloak and pulled her towards her and whispered, "Just keep in mind…if you ever try to pull this shit again, I won't be as forgiving."

Sakura slammed Karin on the ground, knocking her unconscious. Just in time, Sasuke had just finished off Yani with a Chidori, and was approaching Sakura and the unconscious Karin. "If you don't want to finish her off, I will," he said, forming another Chidori.

"No need. I think she'll be too afraid to test us again." Sakura grinned. While getting up from her crouched position, Sakura felt a sharp pain in her ribcage and winced in pain. Sasuke was immediately at her side, panic written all over his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded. "I think I have a couple of broken ribs and some bruising. Nothing I can't fix."

"Hn. It's getting dark and we shouldn't be out here, especially in your condition. You think you'll be able to handle a trip to one of the villages outside of Ame? I'll carry you."

"No, it's alright Sasuke-kun. I'll be able to manage."

Sakura tried to get up again and managed to stay up. "Let's go," she forced out, trying to hide the pain she felt. Sasuke was no fool. He knew first handily how painful it was having a misplaced or broken rib. Against Sakura's wishes, He kneeled down and pulled her towards his back.

"Seeing as I only have one arm, you're going to have to hold on tight."

"I said I'd be able to manage," she retorted.

"Hn."

Sakura decided not to argue. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck and her legs around his torso. With his left hand, Sasuke kept a firm hold on Sakura's left leg to keep her from sliding down and hurting herself more.

"Let me know if the pain gets too much. I'll stop."

Sakura chuckled lightly and rested her head on his shoulder. Sasuke gave her a quizzical look.

"Its nothing. Let get to shelter."

xxx

It was already dark when they arrived in the small, traveller village of Aichi. Small shops were beginning to close and the bars and restaurants were buzzing with late night business. Although Sasuke was hungry from the long day of travel, he knew he had to get Sakura somewhere comfortable for her to be able to heal herself. Wasting no time, Sasuke headed to the nearest inn, near the village entrance. The inn was quaint; perhaps only a dozen rooms total. An older couple greeted them at the reception desk, presumably the inn owners.

"Good evening. How could we help you today?"

"We'd like a room, just for the night."

"Very well. We only have a one bedroom available. Would that be an issue?" The innkeeper asked.

"We'll take it." Sasuke pulled out a stack of ryo from his pocket and placed it on the counter.

The innkeeper could tell by Sasuke's demeanor that he was impatient. Scrambling, she grabbed the room key from the hook on the wall and handed it over to Sasuke. "Your room will be at the far end of this hallway. Room 12. Hope you enjoy your stay."

"Hn."

xxx

The room was plain, but had all the basic necessities. There was a queen-sized bed, a small dinette table, a couch, coffee table, mini-fridge, and a bathroom. Sasuke placed Sakura gently on the bed, in a sitting position. As soon as she sat down, Sakura pulled her bag from her back and scavenged for her medical supplies. "I'm glad I decided to bring a little more than necessary. You never know."

"Hn. Do you need anything?"

Sakura shook her head. "I have all the basics. For injuries like these, I only need clean bandages and my chakra." She lay down on the bed, careful to not to irritate her already sensitive ribs. She lifted her shirt slightly, before realizing what she was doing. Turning to Sasuke, she said, "I'm going to heal myself now."

"Hn?"

"Um…would it be okay if you turned around? I mean…oh never mind." Sakura blushed a deep shade of red, reaching towards her shirt again and pulling it up. Understanding what she meant, Sasuke turned around and faced the large glass window that looked out towards the greenery of the forest.

Sakura proceeded to then remove her top and undid her bindings. When she was done, all she was left with was her bottoms and a plain, cream-colored bra. In order to get better access to her ribs, Sakura laid completely flat on the bed before placing a her glowing hand above the injured areas of her body.

"This won't take long. I'm just going to heal my ribs to the point where they are no longer a problem. Then I'll wrap them and let them heal completely on their own."

"Why not heal them completely now?" Sasuke inquired.

"If you don't let your body naturally heal itself, it can cause your body's immune system to weaken. Your bones can become more fragile and you can become more susceptible to illness. Healing jutsus are mainly for dire situations. If nothing is life threatening and can heal on its own, medical jutsus are not recommended."

"Aa."

In Sasuke's peripheral view, he noticed that the window was reflecting the room behind him. Unbeknownst to Sakura, he was able to see her as she mended her fractured bones. Sasuke blushed and averted his eyes. It felt wrong to look at her after she strictly told him not to look. From the quick glance he had of her, he was able to see her flat, tight abs and the curves of her small chest. He wondered how she would look like completely naked underneath him…

The room suddenly felt too small for Sasuke. His temperature rose and he felt like he needed fresh air, immediately. He abruptly walked towards the door, avoiding making eye contact with Sakura.

She looked at him confused and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go get us some food from across the street," He replied, his back facing her.

"I'll come with you. I'm almost done. I just need to wrap these bindings…"

"No!" He interrupted. " I mean, you need to rest. I'll be back quick. Just stay here."

"Oh, I guess you're right. Be safe, okay?"

Without turning around, he 'hned' in confirmation and opened the door.

Stepping out into the hall, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it momentarily, organizing his thoughts.

He was bold to have accepted the single bedroom.

He may have calm and collected disposition on the outside, but on the inside, Sasuke was very much a man with desires.

Being alone with Sakura on a trip was risky enough, but sharing a room together was going to take every ounce of self-control he had. Even then he couldn't promise that he wouldn't do something.

After calming down, he headed out to the sushi restaurant across the street from the inn. He didn't know what Sakura liked, so he ordered a variety of different rolls to take back to the room. By the time that he came back to the Inn it was past 9. They had left Konoha a little before noon and in less than 9 hours, they traveled through Fire Country, fought unexpected adversaries, and travelled to the outskirts of Ame. He was ready for a long shower and some rest.

When he arrived back into the room, Sakura was fast asleep. Not wanting to wake her up, he placed her portion of food in the mini-fridge and ate his portions silently on the dinette table. After eating, he took a hot shower and changed into fresh cloths. Not even once had Sakura stirred from her sleep.

Shutting off the light, Sasuke laid down on the bed next to Sakura. The bed creaked, which cause Sakura to stir. Sasuke held in his breathe, hoping he hadn't woken her up. Unfortunately, she had. Sakura fluttered her eyes open and yawned. "Sasuke…kun?"

"Hn."

Sakura rubbed her eyes and stretched her aching muscles. "I'm sorry. I guess I fell asleep."

"It's okay, you must have been exhausted. Go back to sleep," he said.

"I will, but…" Sakura shifted herself on the bed and moved closer to Sasuke. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around him. "Much better."

Sasuke had never felt such warmth in his entire life and it felt good. He never thought that he'd experience or deserve such happiness. Accepting Sakura's gesture, he wrapped his arm around her slim waist and pulled her closer to him.

"I love you, Sakura."

Sakura smiled against his chest. She hoped that the moment would never end. "I love you too, Sasuke-kun."

xxx

Light creped into the room, causing Sakura to stir in her sleep to avoid the light. She found that as she tried to turn around, something, or rather, someone was holding her in place by the waist.

"Stay," Sasuke sleepily murmured into her ear. He nuzzled her neck and pulled her closer to him.

Sakura turned around to face him. His eyes were closed, but she knew he was awake.

"Never thought that Sasuke Uchiha could be lazy. I always thought you were a 'rise at the crack of dawn' kind of guy," Sakura chuckled. Sasuke opened his eyes and smirked.

"I told you, I'm full of surprises," He kissed her on the forehead, but made no effort in letting her go.

"Where are we headed today?" Sakura asked.

"That's a surprise too."

"Mou, Sasuke-kun, that's not fair," Sakura pouted.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming on this trip with me. You don't know how much I wanted you to come with me the first time. But, Konoha needed you and I needed to see world on my own first."

"I understand. I'm glad you decided to bring me along and not some fan girl," the comment earned her a snicker from Sasuke.

"Never in a million years. "

"But, I was your fan girl once," she noted.

"And you aren't now?" Sasuke joked.

"Hm…I guess I'll always be your fan. Your number one fan."

"And perhaps you'll be wearing a fan soon," Sasuke mumbled.

"Huh?" Sasuke had spoken so low, that Sakura couldn't hear what he said.

"Nothing, let's go back to sleep."

**xxx**

**One of my reviewers wanted adventure, so I complied the best way that I could. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, you can check into my Tumblr page for more info about this chapter (username: chelseaannlopez)**

**Please let me know if you enjoyed the chapter by leaving a review. I really appreciate all the feedback I get!**

**Until next time!**


	5. Wedding Blues

Chapter 5: Wedding Blues

**1 Year Later…**

"Girls, gather around. It's time for the bouquet throw," Tsunade announced in a half-drunken state. The reception hall was a buzz, women of all ages left their partners and gathered on the dance floor where Hinata was standing with her new husband.

Hinata turned her back towards the group of eager girls and crouched down as much as her kimono allowed her to do. "Ready…one, two, three!" Hinata threw the bouquet and herds of single young women jumped simultaneously to try to reach it. Sakura was amongst these girls, fighting for the coveted bouquet. Alas, the bouquet flew way too high and landed in the arms of an unexpecting Shizune, who was talking to Kakashi in the far corner of the reception hall.

A heard of angry women glared at Shizune before marching back to the dance floor or to their assigned tables.

"I don't understand, what's so special about a bouquet of flowers?" Sasuke asked as Sakura slummed back down on her seat.

"It's not about the flowers. It's about what the flowers represent. When the bride throws her bouquet, she's essentially passing down her rite of being a bride to a new potential bride," Sasuke gave her a quizzical look, not fully understanding. Sakura sighed and explained, "Basically, whoever catches the damn bouquet is getting married next."

"Aa."

"Still can't believe Naruto is married, Choji and Karui's wedding is just around the corner and Sai and Ino are soon to be engaged…" Sakura continued, hoping that talking about weddings and engagements would entice Sasuke to propose to her soon.

There had been several occasions when she thought Sasuke was going to pop the big question, only to be disappointed in the end. The first time was when they were travelling through Rice Country. They were staying in the small village of Taigo, known for its romantic gondola rides. Sakura wasn't expecting Sasuke to want to do something as silly and embarrassing as gondola rides, especially since the trip was for political reasons. And regardless, Sasuke was never one to do grand romantic gestures in public. To her surprise, though, Sasuke had planned an entire evening for them during their stay. They went out for dinner, went on a gondola ride, and went stargazing.

While looking up at the stars, Sasuke had told her that he had something to ask of her. Considering the setting and the day they had, Sakura was convinced that he was going to ask her to marry him. Instead, he asked her the second most important question she wanted to hear from him: "When we get back to the village, can you implant the artificial arm? I think I'm ready."

Sakura was so happy that night, Sasuke might as well have proposed to her. She never insisted on Sasuke implanting the arm, she knew he would come to her at his own terms. Sakura never knew how long it was going to take him and if she was completely honest with herself, she never expected him to accept it until much later in life.

To Sasuke, accepting the arm was like accepting his mistakes and feeling like he had amended them—for the most part.

Sakura understood that Sasuke wasn't expecting the whole world to forgive him, but he wouldn't stop trying in his lifetime. As long as the majority accepted him, though, he was willing to accept his arm.

They had done a lot of traveling up until that point and with the help of Sakura, Sasuke was able to gain forgiveness from villages that had initially turned him down. She became his main source of motivation and advocate.

Now, a year later, Sasuke was a fully changed man. The dark gloomy cloud that once hovered over him was merely but a puffball…

Sakura snapped away from her reverie when she noticed Kakashi approaching their table. It was the first time she had ever seen him wear formal wear, and she couldn't help but notice how dapper he looked in his tuxedo. Sakura couldn't say for sure if he was a handsome man underneath the mask, but his physique and his mannerism were sure enough to swoon a girl. Shizune was lucky.

"May I have this dance?" Kakashi asked, extending his hand towards Sakura. Sakura looked at Sasuke who looked bored beyond comprehension. She knew Sasuke and knew that he would never ask her to dance in public. Whether it was out of embarrassment or simply because he didn't like to dance, she didn't know. She kept a mental note to ask him in the future.

"You may," Sakura responded, accepting Kakashi's hand and following him to the dance floor.

The song playing was a slow ballad. Sakura wrapped her arms around Kakashi's neck and he placed both of his hands on her waist. To others who did not know them, it would seem like Kakashi and Sakura were intimate, but they knew that their relationship was strictly platonic. Sakura loved and respected Kakashi like an second father and Kakashi looked at her like daughter.

"Is the Hokage even allowed to dance?" Sakura asked, amused.

"Why not? I am human. And its not like I'm going to be Hokage for much longer."

"True," She agreed.

"How are things between you and Sasuke?" He inquired. Sakura glanced over at the person in question. He was still sitting at their assigned table. A dark aura clouded him as he stared daggers towards her and Kakashi. She gulped.

"We're doing good. You know how Sasuke is, always trying to put up a macho front in public," She chuckled nervously.

"Any developments? Out of everyone, I thought you two would be married first, considering he has a clan to resurrect and all…"

Sakura twitched. Leave it to Kakashi to ruin to a nice moment. She leaned in close to Kakashi's ear and whispered, "You're lucky that this is Naruto's wedding and I don't want to ruin it by clobbering you to a pulp."

Correction, Kakashi was more like an annoying older brother who never knows how to keep his mouth shut.

Kakashi chuckled, his eyes crinkled with amusement by her threat. "What if I told you I have an idea to get a rise out of Sasuke?"

Sakura glanced back at her table and noticed that Sasuke was gone, probably to get himself another drink. "I'm listening."

Kakashi imitated Sakura's move and whispered his plan into Sakura ear. She grinned. She never knew Kakashi could be so diabolical. The plan was simple, but it was sure to get a rise out of Sasuke. Still, she loved Sasuke and a plan like the one Kakashi was suggesting would end up hurting him and she was not that type of girlfriend.

"I'm sorry. As much as I'd love to get a rise out of Sasuke, I don't think I'd be able to support a plan that comes to the expense of his emotions. I know he cares about me. I don't need reassurance in that department. I'll still take the mission. The hospital is in need of some supplies and I am in need of some serious alone time. Just, promise me you won't put that plan into action?"

Kakashi's plan was to send Sakura on a mission and to give Sasuke a fake arrival date, so when the day came that he thought she was going to arrive, she wouldn't. Normally, when problems happened during a mission, a message would be sent out about an unexpected delay. It was only considered critical when there was no message. Kakashi knew that Sasuke would come knocking at his doors demanding to know where Sakura was and at that moment he would lie to Sasuke and say he didn't know. Standard procedures called to wait 24-hours after the original arrival time before sending out a search team. In those 24-hours, Sasuke would be panicking about where Sakura could be when, in fact, she would be already on her way back home.

But, why did Kakashi want to get a rise out of Sasuke? Sakura assumed that Kakashi just wanted to play a simple trick on his former student. In reality, Kakashi knew much more about their relationship than she did. For years, Kakashi had observed his former students from a far. He knew Naruto loved Hinata before he even confessed to her and he knew about Sakura's intention of killing Sasuke during the Fourth Shinobi War. He even knew that Sai pretended to be a complete moron around Ino just to get a rise out of her. He knew a lot of things and kept it from his students. He was never one to intervene, but in the case of Sakura and Sasuke, he knew that Sasuke always needed an extra push.

As long as Kakashi had known Sasuke, he knew that Sasuke always had issues putting his thoughts into words or into action. He wasn't going to tell Sakura, but one day, he caught Sasuke staring at a display window at a jewelry store. It was clear to Kakashi then that Sasuke had intentions of marrying Sakura, but he didn't know how to approach it.

He thought up of that plan to give Sasuke the extra push he needed to be able to propose without Kakashi fully intervening. Alas, Sakura did not agree to the plan, so he would have to take other measures…a more direct approach.

"That's a shame. I was really looking forward to his reaction. But, I understand. I promise I won't do anything," Kakashi smiled underneath his mask.

The song ended; Sakura thanked Kakashi for the dance and walked back to her table. Sasuke was back from the bar, whiskey in hand.

"You two looked like you were having fun," Sasuke said, taking a sip from his whiskey, unamused.

"We did," Sakura said taking her seat next to Sasuke.

"What were you two talking about?" Sasuke inquired, finishing his whiskey.

"A mission. I'm going to Suna."

"How long?"

"Maybe two weeks? I'm not sure. He was just running it by me. Nothing set in stone yet. But, who knows? Maybe it'll be a month or a year…" she toyed.

Sasuke slammed his empty glass on the table, causing neighboring wedding guests to turn their attention towards them. "Like hell it's going to be a year."

"Sasuke calm down. I was just kidding. Anyways, we're ninja. If I were sent to on one-year mission, there's nothing you and I could do. It comes with the job title."

"What happened to _Sasuke-kun?_" Sasuke sneered.

Sakura could notice that Sasuke had a bit to drink, not to the point of being trashed, but to the point of being loud and vocal. She had to calm him down before he got to rowdy and got himself into trouble. "You're causing a commotion." She grabbed his bandaged hand and squeezed it. Her emerald eyes bore into his, pleading him to relax. Sasuke removed his hands from hers and turned his attention to the other side of the room.

"Hey, aren't you two going to dance?" Naruto and Hinata made their way back to their shared table with Sakura and Sasuke.

"Maybe the next one, right Sasuke-_kun," _Sakura didn't want Naruto to worry about her and Sasuke, especially on his wedding day.

"Aa," Sasuke agreed, still looking elsewhere.

"Well, you guys better get on it. There's only a couple of songs left before the night is over. C'mon Hinata-chan, let's go back to the dance floor. We better see you two there." Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and led her back to the dance floor. Hinata turned slightly and gave Sakura a reassuring smile. Hinata was much more observant than Naruto and realized there was something wrong immediately.

Sakura gave a small smile back before turning her attention to Sasuke, who continued to ignore her.

"I'm not sure what your problem is, but you better get your act straight. I'm staying in my apartment tonight. You're on your own."

Sasuke didn't respond, instead, he grabbed a glass of champagne from the waiter and guzzled it down.

Sakura got up from her chair and walked away.

They did not speak to each other for the rest of the night.

xxx

The day after the wedding was a holiday and a majority of the shinobi and civilians were off from their duties. Sakura, miraculously, was off from her hospital duties and Kenji's was open.

That afternoon, Sakura, Ino and Tenten met for coffee. Normally, Hinata would have been with them, but she was off on her honeymoon with Naruto.

"So it's just the three of us today, huh?" Ino stated taking a sip of her iced skinny latte.

"Hinata and Naruto should be arriving at Land of Hot Springs right about now…lucky bastards," Tenten sighed, "What I would do to be in a resort right now."

"Not going to lie, I'm kind of worried for them. I mean, imagine both of them doing the deed. I feel like Hinata would pass out before—"

"Bad mental images, Ino," Sakura interrupted as she shivered at the thought. Naruto was like a brother to her. Imagining him being remotely sexual was disturbing in more than one level. Though, Ino did have a point…

"Someone change the subject. Please." Sakura said, shaking the dirty images that had crept into her head.

Tenten leaned in on the table secretively and whispered, "Rumor has it, Sai was spotted at the jewelry store last weekend."

Ino imitated Tenten's gesture and leaned over the table as well, "Rumor has it, I've already seen the ring." Both girls' jaws dropped. Ino simply winked in response.

"Wait, are you engaged already?" Sakura asked, flabbergasted.

"And you didn't tell us?" Tenten added.

"Relax ladies. I am not engaged, as of yet. Though, I'd give it a couple of days, tops, until he does. Sai has been acting strange lately...stranger than normal. It's actually pretty cute. When I am engaged, you better bet your sorry asses that we are going straight into the wedding plans."

"I'm so jealous. I feel like Sasuke is just content with things as they are and he's never going to pop the question…" Sakura sulked. "He didn't even get my hints during Naruto's wedding and then he had to go and act like a complete asshole for no reason."

"What happened?" Ino asked.

"He's just being cold. It's like we're twelve all over again, but this time we're in a relationship and I don't know what to do."

"He's probably on his man period. Sai gets like that sometimes. Just ignore it and act like you normally do around him. It will pass," Ino suggested.

"I guess…" Sakura sighed.

Tenten rolled her eyes, "At least your boyfriend is alive, Sakura. I'd rather Neji be alive and arguing with me than…well, you know."

It came to a surprise to the girls of Konoha 11, especially Hinata, when Tenten had admitted that her and Neji had been secretly seeing each other for years. The loss of Neji was a huge blow to Tenten. Although she kept a mostly optimistic outlook on life, she still wasn't able to move on.

The mood at the table changed drastically and Ino was not feeling it. "Ladies, this isn't a time to feel sorry about yourselves. We are at the prime of our lives! Sakura, I bet you and Sasuke will be fine and that you'll have a ring in your finger by the end of this year. Tenten, it's been two years sweetheart. Neji wouldn't want to see you like this. Go out on a date. You don't have to commit to anyone, but you have to give it a try."

"Easy for you to say…but I know it's something I have to do. Is Genma still single?" Tenten said, straight faced. A few moments later, she broke out into a fit of laughter. "You should have seen the look in your faces! It was priceless! Like hell would I go out with Genma. I think Neji would haunt him to death if that ever happened..."

"How about Shino?" Sakura said, straight faced as well. A couple of seconds later the girls broke out into another fit of laughter.

"To be honest Tenten, you're probably better off finding someone outside of Konoha. All the good ones here are either taken or they're gay."

"Ahem Sasuke," Ino scoffed.

"Don't even get me started Ino," Sakura said.

"See, she can't even deny it anymore," Ino continued.

Sakura ignored her comment and tried to change the subject. "So, I'm leaving for Suna tomorrow."

"For how long?" Tenten asked.

"About two-weeks. It's just a quick supply retrieval, but I'm taking a few days to teach a couple of lessons to new medics. Plus, I need the time for myself. I feel like I've been on over drive since the end of the war and I just need to stop and reassess myself before moving forward. And I think it will be good for me and Sasuke to be away from each other for a little while. "

"Yeah, I understand. Why can't you leave with Shikamaru? He's leaving for Suna with Temari, Kankuro and Gaara in a couple of days. At least they'd be good company to travel with."

"It's alright. I need some time on my own. I haven't been on a longish solo mission in a while. It'll be nice to be on my own for a bit."

"Well, you better bring me some souvenirs. Shikamaru never brings me anything."

xxx

Sakura got home that afternoon and packed her supplies. She noticed she was missing a few things that she'd need for her mission. They were probably at Sasuke's apartment. The last place she wanted to go to.

Since they started dating, Sakura was staying at Sasuke's apartment more than she did at her own. Slowly, her stuff was beginning to appear in Sasuke's apartment—she had her, drawers, coffee mugs, toiletries, and set of keys. They never officially stated they were moving in together—it just sort of happened.

Sakura wasn't sure why she didn't give up her apartment. It was practically barren and dust covered a majority of the surfaces. It was during moments when she and Sasuke were in an argument, where she found having an apartment useful. She absolutely hated conflict and tried to avoid it as much as possible.

Sakura arrived at Sasuke's apartment and opened the door with her keys. She was relieved to find the apartment empty and quickly went into the bedroom to grab the things that she was missing. Not long after, Sasuke arrived. He leaned on the doorframe and watched as Sakura scrambled to pack her bag. "You're leaving?"

"Tomorrow," she replied.

"Are you staying tonight?" He asked, his face unreadable.

Sakura turned her attention to Sasuke, "Depends. Are you going to act like an asshole?"

Sasuke frowned. He deserved that. "I'm sorry."

"For?" She wasn't going to let him off easy.

"I'm sorry for acting like an asshole. I've just had a lot on my mind and between the liquor and seeing you have fun with Kakashi…I don't know, I just lost it."

"You are aware that he's like a father figure to me, right? There's no need to be jealous or for you to act like an ass on your best friends wedding day."

Sasuke walked up to Sakura and sat next to her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and placed his head on the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry."

His warm breath brushed Sakura's cold skin, forming goose bumps all over her body. "Apology…accepted."

"I missed you last night. The bed was so cold without you," Sasuke said, placing feather-light kisses down her neck.

"S-sasuke-kun. I need to pack," Sakura managed to say.

Sasuke looked at her hungrily before claiming her lips. His kisses were intoxicating and Sakura was loosing her composure.

It was the last night they would be together for two weeks…

"Screw it," Sakura threw the shirt she was trying to fold and wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck, deepening the kiss.

Who needed clothes anyways.

xxx

Sakura was preparing to leave for her brief mission to Suna. It was early morning when Sakura slipped out of bed. Sasuke was still sleeping. He looked happy and peaceful, and she didn't want to wake him up.

Quietly, she grabbed a change of clothes and her backpack and made her way out to the hallway. She took a quick shower and changed before heading to the kitchen to make her and Sasuke breakfast. She wanted to leave Konoha early enough so she could cover enough ground to make it to Suna in two days instead of three.

After finishing her omelet, Sakura washed her dish and double-checked her pack for supplies. She wouldn't need much, but she was always precautious. Just because the villages were in peaceful terms with each other didn't mean that there wasn't the constant threat of missing-nins.

She wrote a quick note for Sasuke on a piece of paper and placed it on the dinette table, next to the breakfast she prepared for him. Sakura grabbed her bag and started for the door, when she noticed a figure leaning against the wall in the hallway leading to the door.

"Not going to say bye?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura jumped and blushed. He was so sleuth; she didn't even notice his faint chakra signature. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you up," she lied. If she was being honest, she would have told him that she didn't want to say goodbye and get upset.

Sasuke lifted himself from the wall and closed the distance between him and Sakura. He wrapped his arm around the back of her neck and leaned her in towards his chest. "You should have woken me up."

"I'm sorry."

Sasuke lifted Sakura's head and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Give me a second to put on some clothes. I'll walk you to the gate," he said.

Sakura nodded and waited for him to get changed. When he was done, he walked up to Sakura and grabbed her backpack.

"Let's go."

xxx

During Sakura's two-week absence, Sasuke had a long-time to self reflect about his life up until that point. So much had happened in the span between his initial departure from Konoha to the present time. He had grown, not only physically and mentally, but emotionally. He was no longer the boy obsessed over revenge. He was a man in love with a woman that made his everyday more meaningful.

Without Sakura at his side, he felt miserable. Days were longer, nights even longer. He had grown so accustomed to having the pinkette by his side that not having her around felt foreign to him.

He never thought he'd ever love someone as much as he had loved his deceased family, but Sakura was the exception.

So, why, if he knew he loved her and she loved him, was he hesitating to take the next step in their relationship?

Sasuke pondered over the thought consistently during Sakura's absence and came up with a plausible reason for his hesitation:

He was afraid of loosing his family again.

The day before Sakura's arrival, Sasuke was called into the Hokage's office. Sasuke knocked on the door, before walking in. Kakashi was sitting at his desk, surrounded by a mound of paperwork. "Take a seat," he said, pointing at the seat in front of his desk. Sasuke hesitantly sat on the chair; typically, mission briefings happened while standing up. He had never had to sit at the Hokage's office before.

"How are you?" Kakashi asked.

"Can we just go straight to the point?" Sasuke responded impatiently.

"Can't blame a man for trying to start a conversation. I guess I'll get straight to business. What are your intentions with Sakura?"

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked, slightly bewildered by Kakashi's forwardness.

"I asked, what are you intentions with Sakura?"

"I heard that perfectly fine. I just don't understand how that has anything to do with you," Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest and scowled at his former sensei.

"I've been watching you. I saw you at that jewelry store looking at those rings. I know you want to marry Sakura. What I don't know is why you haven't. Your friends are all marrying off and I would think, of all people, you would want to get married to start your own family."

"Shouldn't you be running the village and not meddling in my personal affairs?"

"You're not denying it though," Kakashi countered.

Sasuke didn't respond and instead opted to ignore Kakashi and look out the window.

"Listen, I understand you don't want to hear my advice. It's your life and you run it the way you want to. I just figured, other people have the advantage of having their family give them advice about life decisions. I just wanted to let you know, that although I may not be your sensei anymore, you can always come to me for help. I may not be old enough to be your father, but I feel like you, Naruto and Sakura are like my children. I've seen you three grow up from tiny annoying brats to the powerful, intelligent young adults you are today. Don't forget that."

Sasuke briefly contemplated Kakashi's words. Although he found it very imprudent of Kakashi to meddle in his affairs, in a way, he was relieved to have someone who worried about him—besides Sakura. Since he first contemplated proposing to Sakura, he wished he could ask his mother or Itachi for advice, but they were gone.

He never once considered Kakashi as a possible confidant, and perhaps it wouldn't hurt to disclose some thoughts that had been bothering him.

"I'm—scared," Sasuke admitted.

"That she's going to reject you? I don't see how that's possible…"

"No, I'm scared about the unknown. I've already lost my family once, how can I be sure I won't lose them again?"

Kakashi got up from his chair and walked over to Sasuke who had buried his face in his hands. Kakashi placed his hand on his shoulder and said, "There's no way to tell the future. Things can happen that are completely out of our control. Regardless, we can't let our past dictate our future. Sakura makes you happy and you make Sakura happy. I don't see a reason why your past should affect your present and future happiness."

"But, how do I go about it? I've been a complete asshole to her the past couple of week. She's already forgiven me but…"

Kakashi smiled, "Trust me. Whatever form you decide to ask her, she will be glad just to hear you say those four words."

"Hn."

Kakashi knew that was Sasuke's way of saying thank you and replied, "You're welcome."

xxx

The following day, Sasuke waited for Sakura to arrive by the gate. According to her departure time, she should have been arriving at 5'oclock in the afternoon. It was nearing 7, and Sasuke was getting impatient and worried. '_What if something bad happened?'_ he kept thinking, but tried to shake the negative thoughts from his head.

At about 7:30, he noticed the gates were being drawn open and through them walked in the love of his life. She looked slightly beaten down, with scattered cut marks across her arms and face. Her clothes were covered in dirt and her hair was a mess.

Sasuke ran towards her immediately and embraced her in a hug, "Sakura! Are you okay?"

Sakura returned the gesture and nuzzled Sasuke's neck, "A small ambush, but I took care of them."

Sasuke embraced her tighter and placed a gentle kiss at the top of her head. "I missed you," he murmured.

Sakura closed eyes, relishing the moment, "I missed you too."

During her two-week absence from Konoha, she was miserable. She thought that being away from Konoha would be beneficial for her, but it was the complete opposite. Every night, she missed having Sasuke by her side, keeping her warm and safe. Every morning, she missed making him breakfast and chatting away about life. Every afternoon, she missed cuddling with him on the couch. There was not a moment in her day when she did not miss Sasuke.

In just a few short years, Sasuke had become such an intricate part of her life that she couldn't even begin to imagine life without him. She loved him even more so than she loved him the day before, and the day before that and so on. Everyday, she found herself loving him more. She didn't know how that was humanly possible.

As long as he was by her side, she felt complete. She felt silly thinking otherwise. Thinking about it made her cry.

Sasuke felt his shirt getting moist and was immediately alerted to the fact that Sakura was crying.

"What's wrong? Does something hurt? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I just missed you so much. I feel so stupid thinking that going on a long mission was going to be good for our relationship. It's not that I'm co-dependent…but I really love having you by my side, through the good times and the bad times."

Sasuke smiled down at Sakura with the million-dollar smile he only shared with her, "I feel the same way… follow me." Sasuke grabbed Sakura by the hand and brought her deeper into the village. He led her towards the infamous benches that he had once left her unconscious on. Sakura always avoided that bench, but Sasuke insisted on her sitting on it.

"Sakura, 10 years ago, on this day I decided to make the worst mistake of my entire life. To leave the place that I loved and called home and to leave my family. On that same day, you moved me with your profession of love. Trust me when I say this, but even though I didn't show it, I really cared about you then. It killed me to see you crying and I almost didn't leave just to stay with you, but I had a mission to follow. I choose revenge over happiness, and you know how much I regret it now," Sasuke kneeled down on one knee and grabbed Sakura's hand, tenderly brushing the top of her knuckles with his thumbs.

"I know this bench holds a lot of bad memories—for both of us, but I want to be able create new ones, with you by my side for the rest of my life. Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?"

Sasuke pulled a small velvet box and revealed a simple, flower-shaped diamond ring set on platinum. Sakura was unable to say any words and instead nodded violently and pulled out her hand. Tears of happiness streamed down her face as he placed the delicate ring on her ring finger.

"It's perfect."

Sakura looked so beautiful, Sasuke thought. Her vibrant green eyes shined brighter and her cheeks were flush with happiness and excitement. She was a goddess—his goddess and he would treasure her for the rest of eternity.

**xxx**

**Happy holidays everyone! I'm sorry about the delay, but as soon as my semester ended I went on party mode (I've gotten mostly A's so far!). I know I say this every time, but I think this was one of my favorite chapters to write and I hope it was worth the wait.**

**This chapter marks the official halfway point to this story. I'm thinking of publishing bonus chapters or drabbles after I complete it. It just depends how inspiration strikes me.**

**As always, please leave a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter. If you haven't noticed, I often take into consideration all the feedback you give me.**

**For additional information on the chapter, you can head on over to my Tumblr page.**

**And once again, Happy Holidays! I will see you in 2015!**


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